InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Final Battle ❯ Over the River ( Chapter 20 )

DISCLAIMER: Don't ask, don't tell. ;)

 

 

RECAP: The bathing females could only gasp at the sight before them. Kagome's mouth fell agape, as she lowered her weapon.

 

“Sesshou-Maru...”

 

 

 

 

Chapter 20

 

 

 

Kagome stilled in the presence of the striking Inu-Youkai before her. He looked upon her naked form dispassionately, and nodded.

 

“Miko.” It was, as far as he was concerned, a name that summed up her entire entity, and his use of it was the highest possible form of generosity he could bestow upon a human, outside of Rin.

 

Not bothering to deem the other occupants of the hot spring with a glance, his shockingly golden eyes pinned the raven haired priestess to her unmoving position in the water, the other young women ducking slightly to cover themselves in the spring. Then, the authoritative Inu's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly (and Kagome swore she saw them roll for a split second) as a sudden breeze ripped through the trees, and a raving battle cry heralded the entrance of a pissed-off hanyou.

 

“Sesshou-maru! What the hell are you doing here?!” Inu-Yasha shouted, leaping over Kagome's head and landing on the ground between her and his regal half-brother.

 

Sesshou-maru wrinkled his nose and closed his eyes. “Fear not, Inu-Yasha. This Sesshou-maru has not the time to waste on the antics of one such as yourself today.” He sniffed boredly at the hanyou before him. “It is your miko with whom I intend to speak.”

 

Kagome looked up nervously, and gulped, looking at Sesshou-maru's face from over Inu-Yasha's shoulders. “What is it you're looking for?”

 

Sesshou-maru raised an eyebrow at Kagome, as if she were asking the most obvious question in the world. “Naraku remains alive, does he not?”

 

It was then that Kagome and Inu-Yasha realized the absence of three of Sesshou-maru's closest companions: Toukijin, Tensaiga, and Rin.

 

“His scent has considerably been altered. But I am not mistaken in detecting traces of it on the bodies of several demons. Only, now, he also carries part of your scent.”

 

“My blood...” Kagome murmured, bringing Inu-Yasha's gaze to her. Sesshou-maru sniffed.

 

“I believe he has absconded with two of my belongings. I know he has already disposed of another. However, he is not in this world, so it would be pointless to continue this search as I am now. You are going to tell me where he is.”

 

“Oh, um...” Kagome began, when the sound of leaf-crunching footfalls accompanied Harry, Ron, Miroku, Soutaro and Shippou as they finally caught up with Inu-Yasha to join the group.

“Inu-Yasha! What's the big...deal...” Ron began, his panting face ruddy from running, and steadily gaining in blush at the sight of Hermione's bare neck and shoulders.

 

“Heeey...” Miroku whistled at three of the young females, a blissful grin causing uncontrollable sparkles to emerge in his pupils.

 

Soutaro immediately whipped away from the girls, his face practically in flames. Harry, however, couldn't help but gawk at the dripping miko, who stood naked from the hips-up, her body steadily blanching to match the shade of his reddening cheeks.

 

It was then that Shinamichi decided to break the tense silence by launching herself at the ashen-faced, bespectacled male in question. “Oh, Harry-kun! I was so scared!” She cried, wrapping her moist limbs about him in a death grip.

 

“Shinamichi! Get off him, NOW!” Sango screamed.

 

“And put some clothes on!” barked Soutaro, his voice squeaking a little as he hurriedly fled the clearing.

 

“RON! Stop staring and get your feet off my skirt!” Hermione demanded, ducking lower into the water.

 

Ron sputtered, throwing clothes in Ginny and Hermione's direction. “F-Fine! It's not as if I wanted to look at your shapeless body, a-anyway!”

 

“Thanks, Ron!” Ginny said jovially, emerging from the water to make a grab for her clothes.

 

“Ugh, Ginny, that's foul! I did not need to see you naked!” shuddered Ron, who then dashed away to join Soutaro, Shippou's tail flouncing spiritedly against his head.

 

“Miroku! Go follow those boys!” Sango spat.

 

“Aw...but I didn't even get to see you naked, koi!” Miroku whined, but retreated hastily at the piercing look in his wife's eyes as she chased him out.

 

“Here,” Inu-Yasha dropped his haori onto Kagome's shoulders, keeping his eyes to the sky as his face pinkened none-too-slightly.

 

“Thanks...” Kagome smiled in embarrassment, causing Harry to turn a deeper shade of scarlet, and follow the others in a retreat. She looked up at the slightly irritated (although still, completely stoic-looking) Demon Lord.

 

“Let me tell you what happened to Naraku...”

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________ _____________

 

 

 

 

 

“Thank you so much for everything, Sango, Miroku...” Kagome said to the softly smiling couple, her voice cracking as she bowed deeply before them.

 

Sango laughed, tears in her eyes. “Oh, please...” She said, grabbing the girl into a hug. “When did we get so formal?”

 

Kagome laughed, this time, crying a little more. “I guess I should be happy that I got to give you a proper good-bye this time, huh?”

 

Sango rubbed the girl so dear to her heart on the small of her back. “Kesshite,” She whispered. “It's never Sayounara...just, `see you later'.” Reluctantly, the two parted. Kagome looked then at the placid monk, his own eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

 

“Well, Kagome-sama, it has been a pleasure, as always...” Miroku said, holding his arms open.

 

Kagome giggled, rolling her eyes as she wrapped her arms around the houshi. “Thank you, thank you, thank you...” She said. Suddenly, Miroku's eyes widened, as a soft `pat' broke the silence, his mouth agape as he looked down at the mischievous-looking grin plastered on the miko's face.

 

“K-Kagome-sama! Did you just—spank me?!”

 

“What?” She said innocently, releasing herself from the dirty old man's grip. “You can dish it out, but you can't take it yourself?”

 

Sango shook her head, snickering a little. “Consider yourself lucky to have won the attentions of someone young enough to be your great, great, greatgreatgreat, greeeeat granddaughter, houshi!”

 

“Oh, I think I could get a little luckier, darling...how about tonight?”

 

“Soutaro-kun, Mi-chan, are you sure you want to come with us? It'll be very dangerous.” Kagome asked the two, who had their gear on and were ready to jump back to the future.

 

“I've never been surer about anything in my life,” Soutaro said, his posture straight and resolute. “Grandma has been training us all our life to combat youkai, and I feel a personal responsibility to continue her tradition. Besides, I have faith that we can destroy Naraku once more, and when my sister and I return home, we will be able to tell our own grandchildren about how we, too, fought alongside the priestess of legend.”

 

Kagome smiled. “What about you, Mi-chan?”

 

She stared into Ron, gazing deeply into his eyes. “I've never been surer about anything in my life...” She repeated.

 

Ron shuddered, his neck hairs standing straight up as a mysterious hostile aura crackled from Hermione's direction...

 

“Alright! Let's get a move on, guys!” Kagome cheered, heading towards the forest.

 

“Keh, about damn time...” Inu-Yasha grumbled. Sesshou-maru stood quietly, looking rather out-of-place as he kept his distance from the group.

 

“Hey, Kagome!” Kagome whipped around as the sound of stampeding wolves rose in volume from the forest.

 

“Aw, crap...” Inu-Yasha grumbled, wondering for all the world why they had to park it downwind.

 

“Kouga-kun?” The said wolf prince tornadoed into the clearing, Ginta and Hakkaku short on his tail. (Um, pun intended?)

 

“Kagome! Are you going back to the future?” Kouga asked, heedless of the confused stares surrounding him.

 

Kagome frowned. “Um, yeah...Did we forget to change your vocal chords, Kouga-kun?”

 

Kouga shrugged, letting loose a piercing bark and a low growl, his canine comrades reciprocating with harmonic howling. “Yeah, I guess. My brothers and I shall join you! After all—“ He said, sidling a bit closer to the to the uneasy miko. “My pride as a wolf would never allow me to let slide the harmful ways of Naraku upon the former world of my intended.”

 

“Why you—!” Inu-Yasha growled, raking his claws through the air as Kouga artfully dodged them with the grace of habit.

 

“Ugh! Omigod. Enough already…you, you, and you fellows…yes, the barking ones…come here, I need to adjust your vocal chords.” Hermione commanded, the irritation and rigidity of her voice permitting no room for negotiation as she shot out her wand, stripping the Japanese tongues of their native languages as the group prepared for their journey.

 

“Alright, you guys! Are we ready?!” Kagome said with zest piping her voice full of optimistic energy, wiping the tears from her eyes and waving fare-well to her time-worn friends. Inu-Yasha had his sword—and Shippou—on his shoulder, Ron, Harry, and Ginny walked alongside Shinamichi and her brother, and Hermione struggled to delicately explain the benefits of magically altering one's vocal chords to a haughtily skeptical Sesshou-Maru as the wolves lead the way. The group was an unlikely one, to say the least, but that was nothing compared to the battle they had to face.

 

And so, taking on the day with a renewed determination, and as prepared as much as they could possibly be for war that lay ahead in a world wrought with conflict, witch and wizard, demon and human, and those who were a little bit of everything, set out on the path to save mankind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An eerie quiet had settled like a foreboding blanket upon the once-cheerful town of Hogsmeade. The air was stagnant with the stale stench of miasma lingering in the air, causing the wolves to paw at their noses in repulsion. The blood of mutilated auror and demon coated the fallen bricks, rusting the jagged ridges of piping and mingling with the ash that charred the crumbling remains of the storefronts and sidewalks. Trees were reduced to brittle forks of tinder wood, and the sky was black with smoke. In this place, it seemed no life would ever again exist.

“Blimey…” Ron mumbled, stumbling out of the portal, Hermione on his heels as they joined Harry, Ginny, and the wolves. Shinamichi and Soutaro were soon to follow, tagged by Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and Shippou.

 

Hermione carefully avoided the sharp edges of debris as she made her way to what used to be the road. “All this destruction…I wonder how many aurors survived.”

 

Shimamichi and Soutaro were looking around, an expression of grim awe dragging their mouths agape. “This is our future?” Soutaro asked, astounded by the disaster around him.

 

“Harry, darling, I think it would be best if we spent the rest of our lives together in my world…” Shinamichi muttered, her eyes trailing over the mass of cinder block and demon innards.

 

Sesshou-maru was the last to pass through the portal, his expression remaining as stoic as ever, but for a slight, barely noticeable arch of the eyebrow. He looked at Inu-Yasha, then at Kagome, issuing an unspoken criticism of the world that bore the miko, whose purity was known throughout lands. (It was to no one's surprise that, as he gracefully glided over the filth, his white hakama remained as pristine white as ever.)

 

The group wasted no time in getting out of there and searching for the secret passageway to Hogwarts. As the passage through the sweet shop had been obliterated, they were forced to travel the way through the Shrieking Shack, into the hollow of the Whomping Willow. The place made Inu-Yasha shudder, and caused Sesshou-maru to wrinkle his nose ever-so-slightly, as Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku sniffed the area with interest.

 

The most morbid of thoughts raced through the minds of the students, as they fearfully anticipated the state of the school they loved so much. A look of supreme puzzlement fell across five of the waiting faces when they arrived through the pugnacious perennial, however, as they were greeted with the surprise that the school was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Holy Crap! The demons stole our school!” Ron exclaimed, his freckles popping out in contrast to his swiftly paling face as he took in the blank landscape of a foggy English countryside.

 

Hermione frowned, looked about, and then released the tension in her brows as the realization dawned on her. “It's not stolen,” she said, running ahead, then slowing to a walk. The others watched curiously, as the quick-witted witch pressed forth gingerly, her hands outstretched. Suddenly, she came to a halt, her hands flattening and flexing through the air before her, looking as though she had touched something solid.

 

“It's hidden!” She said, whipping around and flashing [Ron] a brilliant smile. Harry's mouth pulled wide in a grin, and ran towards Hermione. With the suddenness of a strikr of lightening, Hogwarts appeared before them, Mr. A standing right at the door, looking ages older than he had the day before.

 

“Well, it's about time you came back.”

 

Kagome rushed towards the man, reading the weariness in his aura. “Are you…alright?” She asked tentatively.

 

He looked at her with as much reassurance a man of his sensitivity could muster, patted her on the shoulder. “Been better, that's for damn sure. But that's not important.” His eyes settled on the new faces before him, lingering a bit longer on the tall, formidable figure in white. He looked back at Inu-Yasha and Kagome. “These friends of your's , I take it?”

 

“Yes,” Kagome nodded. “They've been of great aid to us in the defeat of Naraku in the past, and they have offered to help again. Is that alright?”

 

Mr. A turned around, gesturing for the group to follow. “It'll have to be, I'm sure. Come on…I don't want to keep this school visible for longer than I have to. It's not much protection, but it confuses the heck out of some of the lower-level demons and idiot Death-Eaters, which is always a hoot.”

 

The inside of the building had lost a distinct sense of warmth, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny noticed as they walked inside. Without Dumbledore there, it always felt a bit less welcoming, but in light of the recent events and somber setting, it was like going home to a prison.

 

“Come with me.” Mr. A said, leading the trail to the Headmasters office.

 

“It's been absolute hell at the ministry. Countless aurors were killed last night, and a good number of families have decided to take off.” He said, walking at a speedy pace.

 

“All this, just from the fight last night?” Kagome implored incredulously.

 

“No, no…the stray demons that found their way through the portal joined Voldemort. He's been gaining in power, and attacks started picking up after you guys went back.”

 

“And Professor Dumbledore?” Harry asked, keeping up with the older man.

 

“He's had his work cut out for him, what with the Dementors ravaging the town. I can't even begin to describe how terrible…” He didn't need to finish recounting the horrors of witnessing someone have his soul ripped from his body.

 

It was unsettling to see the hallways so barren…in light of the lockdown, students were made to keep to their dormitories, watched over by their respective heads of house. Hagrid had taken over for Professor McGonagall, who was busy keeping post as the stand-in for Headmaster.

 

The elder witch in question looked up as the door to her temporary office opened, and an immediate look of relief washed across her exhausted features.

 

“Oh, thank God you're all safe.”

 

Hermione smiled wanly, as she took a seat on a plushy chair by the wall. “We were received rather well by Kagome's friends in the past…we've even brought a few of them with us to help in the fight.”

 

“You will do no such thing, young lady. I will not have my students partaking in any such violence. Your jobs are to stay in your dormitories, after you explain all that has happened since yesterday.” Her normally authoritative tone held a note of defeated desperation, as if she knew her words had fallen on deaf ears even before they left her mouth.

 

Humoring her, Harry began to introduce the other visitors, and leapt into a record of the events in the past, with Ron and Hermione intervening frequently as Kagome took a break from repeating the same things. Mr. A and Professor McGonagall listened patiently, nodding on occasion, and scrutinizing the characters in the room, who were acting with a remarkable amount of respect, given their usual behaviors.

 

Kagome yawned and squirmed a little, her skin inflamed from the death and miasma. Her constitution had grown considerably weaker in light of the emotionally and physically taxing events that had taken place, and the poison of evil in the air had done little to soothe her tired spirit.

 

She desperately needed a vacation.

 

But a trip to the toilet would suffice.

 

“I beg your pardon, I need to get a breath of fresh air.” Inu-Yasha made to get up and follow her, only to feel the slight pressure of her hand pushing him down. “Not with you! Boy-hanyou aren't allowed in the little girl's room. Shippou shall escort me—I'll be back in a minute.” Too tired to argue, the rest of them continued.

 

Shippou sat alertly on Kagome's shoulder, his little nose darting this way and that, trying to make sense of the strange array of scents that permeated this new and foreign land. “This is a really strange place, Kagome,” he said, shivering a little from his comfortable perch. Kagome sighed into his mop of coppery hair.

 

“Are you frightened, my little kit?” She giggled as his tone immediately changed, puffing up his chest indignantly.

 

“Am not!” As if on cue, the ghost of the Bloody Baron drifted gently across the hall, causing Shippou to emit a small yelp of surprise. “…Well, maybe just a little.”

 

Kagome smiled softly. “It's alright. I'm a little scared, too, Shippou,” She said, as they entered the bathroom. “But you know what?” Kagome removed him from her shoulder and sat him on the sink, looking tenderly into his aquamarine eyes. “You, being here with me, makes me feel a lot safer.”

 

He looked up at her, a wistful grin creeping across his lips. He wrapped her head in a tiny embrace, receiving a kiss on the cheek.

 

As they left the bathroom, both Kagome and Shippou were filled with a new strength. (What a bathroom!) Shippou bounced behind Kagome, lingering around the paintings and gazing in awe at the moving images. Kagome smiled, leisurely strolling a few feet ahead, losing herself to her thoughts.

 

`How will we ever defeat him? Will we ever defeat him? It was hard enough the first time…but he's so much more powerful now!' She bit her lip, pensively studying the woodwork beneath her feet.

 

She looked up, fire in her eyes. `Yes, we will. He's more powerful than ever, but so are we. And we have more allies now than ever before…we'll defeat him, and this time, it'll be for good.'

 

“Won't we, Shippou?” Kagome said, a coruscating smile cutting through the soft pink of her face.

 

Her smile was cut short when she noticed the quiet. It turned into a grimace when she noticed the still bundle, curled up on the floor.

 

She gasped, running to the fallen kit. He was still breathing, but a bump was swelling rapidly on his forehead. It dawned on her that she was likely in danger.

 

She leapt up, her mouth opening to call for help, when she felt a blow to the head.

 

Sinking to her knees, her world went black.

 

 

 

 

The end is near! The end is near!